St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-02

was twenty-three.
During the next two months all our
foraging somehow was in their direction.
1t seemed perhaps to the horses that
everything available in the food line
had migrated to the district back of the
Sunderland plantation, which had to be
passed in order to light upon anything
at all. There was something about the
sunderland cuisine, too, that must have
appeared very tempting to my men, for
L did not willingly, l believe, miss a
meal. Ellen and l, in fact, were con-
stantly together: The old folks made
golden-haired sister beamed the sweet
est kind of approval, the days were long
and the twilights of the dim old fir
woods perfect, and-I believe l men-
toned the fact, gentlemen" said the
cOmmander-in-chief, with sigh, "that
she was nineteen and l was twenty
three.
II might remark parenthetically that
there is nothing in life quite so fascin-
ating as to be isolated in the wilderness
in company with beautiful woman.
Several books have been written with
that one idea to carry them, and, like
Charles Reade's Foul Play they have
always cepght the public's eye. There
was no sentimental talk between us.
The crack of the guerrilla rife, the dis
tant boom of battle, the war smoke in
the air, and the period when no one
knew what day would bring forth
were very i'll adapted for sincere love
making, and that anything in the shape
OF man could have made love to Ellen
Sunderland insincerely it would take a
pretty bitter cynic to believe. But we
were together none the less; together
when the tree shadows crept slowly
across the hot, still, brown fields as the
sun sank lower and lower toward the
mountains SUBMITS; together in the
stiffness and loneliness of the moss
grown aiSles of the woods: in the noon
tide heat; together when the big, round
harvest moon hung still and simmer
ing like great shield of gold balanced
against the black velvet wall of the
autumn night universe. What we said
and what we did and what we thought
it matters not. 1t would be to you very
. like chestnut, perhaps, to dwell upon
it. Every woman knows who has ever
been nineteen; every man remembers
who knew what it was to be twenty
three,
''Well, one day when l entered the
house l had a surprise. | had heard
rumOrs of there being a wounded rebel
officer in hiding at the Sunderlands.' 1
had paid no attention to them, however,
believing them to be without founda-
ton. Butii0n91this day, entering the
house as usual without knocking, |
opened the door7of the reception room,
OF parlor, the first door on the right
hand side of the hall, which ran through
the house. There was large fireplace
in this room on the side opposite the
door. AS l stepped in saw an easy
chair, high-backed. in front of this fire.
l was instantly conscious in some way
for L certainly saw nothing of him-that
man, and stranger. was sitting in
that chair. did not attempt to see any
more. l stepped out, closed the door
and quietly took chair in the sitting
room opposite. In moment or two the
eldest daughter came in hurriedly, pale
and agitated.
mir. p she gasped, Did you go
into the other rOOm?'
81 did, said |.
Did you see anybody"
s. L did not," L answered very quietly.
She looked me squarely in the eye. l
looked squarely back. She bowed,
and, apparently relieved, passed out.
.'She had scarcely gone before Addie
came in. She was confused at seeing
me in the sitting room.
oh, Mr.. -" she said, and then
stopped in perpleXity.
What is it?' asked.
Il was going to ask-I-that is.
Did you go into the other room?'
g I did, said l.
Did you see anybody?
So did not
"sAndthen, with the same question ON
in nj of
What Had occurred with the others. She
was very grave, almost sad. She asked
me the same question in low, appeal
ing tone. did not like even subter-
fuge with her. When she asked ifiI
had penetrated the mysterious apart
nent L asked, shaking my head:
"'And why? Is there anything in
this house to conceal?'
''The eldest sister. who had returned,
shook her head in denial. 1t was no
wonder. He was her husband. sup
pose: l looked at Ellen and Addie.
They looked away. They never looked
as lovely, at least to me. For they
would not tell lie and they trusted
me.
"Well, 1 heard no more of the
stranger, and things ran on as before
for a week or two. Then there came
repeated rumOrS of the guerrillas in the
neighborbOod, and we began to take eX-
ira precautions. / continued to call
daily at the Sunderlands' and one
afternoon as l was going away Ellen
seemed particularly i'll at ease. She
was nervous, hesitating, and altogether
unlike herself. | said good-by to her at
the porch and went out to mRhOrse. AS
| was about to mount she came out of
the house toward me bearing a long,
rich, crimson silk scarf, with fine tassels
OF white silk at either end. She held it
out to me, saying:
"'Will you wear thiS-fOr me?'
81 cannot rob gou,' said. Outside of
the guitar t-befieve it was the only
thing Of amy value that she had left in
the world.
,''Please wear it." she said. And while
/ heSitated she deity put it around my
neck, and before l Suspected had put
her arms around, too, and had kissed
me Squarely on the lips. AS looked at
her, quite staggered, in an altogether
happy state OF surprise, the tears Sprang
to her eyes, she turned away and went
hastily into the house.
Il rode down the road slowly. Her
conduct was so strange; the memory of
that kiss, the first and last she ever gave
me, was so tenacious that it drove
everything else out of my mind. MY
rein fell upon my horses neck, and if
there had been hostile sharpshooter OF
rebel troop anywhere about l would
have been an easy prey. had five men
with me, but they had gone farther up
the road and did not wait for them. I
rode thoughtfully along during most of
the way for four miles. Finally APP
preached The Cap the place of which
| smoke. the darkest and most SpcIuded
section of the whole distance.
''As / entered it / heard some one
calling behind me. In little while l
recognized Josh, my negro cook, who
Lad been visiting some plantation. He
was Afraid :. i SulAnQSn and Mt d